English: It was taught: R’ Yose says: The generation of the Flood became arrogant only because of the eyeball, which resembles water, as it is stated “And the sons of the nobles saw the daughters of man that they were fair…” Therefore He judged them with water that resembles the eyeball, as it is stated “All the fountains of the great deep were split open and the windows of heaven were opened.”
On the daf: The midda-keneged-midda is drawn from the verb “saw” (the eye). Because the sin began with the eye, the punishment came through water, which the eye resembles. Torah Temimah also notes the parallel discussion of the fallen angels (Uzza and Azael) on Yoma 67b and the competing view of R’ Shimon bar Yochai (Bereishis Rabbah) that “benei ha-Elohim” means the sons of the judges.
Type of Learning
Custom (midda-keneged-midda from the eye that saw).
What Is Learned
The generation of the Flood was punished measure-for-measure: the sin began with the eye (seeing the daughters of man), therefore the judgment came by water, which resembles the eyeball.